Wider Maitland Avenue Opens As Builders Finish Work

MAITLAND — Less than a year after the widening of Maitland Avenue started, the road has reopened to traffic along its full length. However, construction is not completed.

Motorists can drive on the avenue between its intersection with U.S. Highway 17-92 and the Seminole County line without obstructions. Starting last July, K & L Contractors Inc. of Killarney widened parts of the road from two lanes to three, four or five lanes. The contractor is expected to finish by the end of this month, more than a month ahead of the scheduled completion in August.

The intersection of George Street and Maitland Avenue is open. The intersections of Packwood and Horatio avenues with Maitland Avenue will remain closed until railroad crossing gates and a traffic light are installed, possibly by this week, said Matt Cross, Maitland public works director.

Medians were being sodded last week and a landscaping committee headed by architect Alan Helman is working on plans to add trees and shrubs along the road. Another contractor will landscape the city parking lot on Horatio Avenue.

A sound barrier between the relocated railroad tracks and the municipal buildings is scheduled to be erected in the next few weeks, Cross said. The barrier will be a brick-colored metal wall that matches the color of city hall.

Cross negotiated a contract with K & L to rebuild part of Manor Road, which connects with U.S. 17-92, so that it will connect with the highway at its intersection with Maitland Avenue. This will eliminate the dogleg link between Manor and Maitland. The firm will be paid $60,000 and the work should be done by early July, Cross said.

A fence at the Maitland Public Library is being rebuilt and a sidewalk next to the library will be built soon, Cross said.